Foam Rolling….and Genetics?

Monday, June 27, 2016. Author DR PLEUNI HOOIJMAN PhD

Is the secret to preventing and curing muscle soreness predetermined by your genes?

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and formation of fibrous adhesions – the little painful knots – can develop in the muscle tissues of everyone that works out regularly or strenuously, and can have a negative impact on normal muscle mechanics.

Adequate sleep, sufficient hydration, and proper nutrition all aid recovery by replenishing fuel sources, removing metabolic by-products (like lactic acid) and repairing damaged muscle fibre, but don’t overlook the value of a post-workout massage to encourage the healing process. While paying for a regular massage may be an unaffordable luxury for most people, self-massage is inexpensive and easy.

Foam rollers have dominated the last decade of self-massage, and you will have seen piles of foam rollers at the gym, athletes bringing foam rollers to the track, and sports people of all disciplines using rollers of assorted densities on themselves.

Self-massage (by foam roller or other method) as well as traditional massages by therapists- helps to relief muscle pain, reduce muscle tension and stiffness, and improves flexibility, range of motion and enhances performance.

So how do your genetics impact your post-workout recovery?

If you work out or train with friends, you will have noticed that some people ‘naturally’ seem to recover more quickly (or slowly) from exercise. There are obviously training and fitness related reasons for this, but at least 50% of the difference is genetic. The genes that impact recovery capacity from a workout are:

Whereas it can be useful for anyone, those with poorer recovery capacity may gain extra benefit from regularly massaging the muscles (preferably immediately) after strenuous exercise, as well as having longer recovery periods between workouts. Furthermore, those with lower recovery scores may also benefit from consuming foods with high levels of anti-inflammatory properties or by taking high quality fish oil or curcumin supplements.

Not only important for recovery, foam rolling can also be beneficial for performance. Comparable to stretching, it can improve the muscle’s range of motion and balances muscle activation and relaxation levels. Some studies showed an increase in vertical jump height and maximal force output when subjects had a pre-workout foam rolling session.

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